Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Make Every Holiday Steak Dinner an Event!

All it takes to make the
perfect steak dinner is a good cut of steak, Bearnaise sauce, a Caesar salad, and
a Big Green Egg, or your barbecue of choice! I love to cook and will occasionally
add recipes to the blogs.

Bearnaise Sauce The Right Way:

½ Cup White Wine (Gallo is
Fine)

½ Cup Heinz Distilled White
Vinegar (or other store brand)

1 Palm full of fresh dried
Tarragon (HEB or Central Market)

1 Tablespoon Minced Green
Onion (I usually am out)

2 Sticks of Salted Butter at
Room Temperature

3 Whole Egg Yolks from Large
Fresh Eggs

Put wine, vinegar, onion, and
dried tarragon in a small sauce pan. When measuring the tarragon, cup your hand
palm side up and fill it up! Simmer until there are approximately two
tablespoons of liquid left. Let cool. Some people hate the smell of this step
(my daughter!). And do not burn the pan as it will take you a month to clean it!

In a food processor, blend
the butter and egg yolks. Add the above cooled mixture and blend until
thoroughly mixed.

Because raw eggs can make you
sick, put the sauce in a small sauce pan on low heat and cook until you think
the eggs are cooked. At this point, the sauce will separate and you will have
to throw it out. I have absolutely no idea why, but for the past 20 years I have
totally forgotten this last step! Instead, I store the sauce in the
refrigerator for up to six weeks and take out only what I need at each meal. Béarnaise
sauce is also good on salmon and asparagus.

Needs Bearnaise Sauce Michael Gras, M.Ed. CC BY

Caesar Salad:

This is the real recipe! Years
ago at Pepe’s Grill in Cozumel, when they still made the salad table side, a
waiter measured everything out for me. He gave me a pen and told me to write it
down on my napkin, which I did. You should not eat this dressing because it has
raw eggs which can make you sick, though it does not make my family sick.

½ of Juice from a 2 Inch
Round Lime

4 Large (fresh) Egg Yolks

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
Sauce (French)

4 Anchovies from a Small Tin
Can

¼ Teaspoon Dry Mustard

5 Cloves of Garlic from a Two
Inch Garlic Bulb

2/3 Cup Olive Oil (Bertolli
Classico or Kirkland) – Not Virgin!

Pepper to Taste

Graded Reggiano Parmesan
Cheese

Romaine Lettuce, cleaned

Garlic Seasoned Croutons

Peel the garlic and drain the
anchovies on a paper towel. In a wooden bowl, combine most of the lime juice, and
all of the egg yolks, Worcestershire Sauce, dry mustard, olive oil, and the anchovies
and garlic (pressed through a garlic press, Mix well. If the dressing has a
tart taste (anchovies), slowly add in more lime juice, tasting after each
addition. Chill.

Separate the leaves and clean
the romaine lettuce. Drain on a towel. When almost dry, put in a Ziploc bag, press
out extra air, and seal the bag. Place in the refrigerator for several hours
until the lettuce is crisp.

Mix the lettuce and dressing
in a large bowl. Place on salad plates and top with the grated cheese and
garlic croutons.

Caesar Salad Jessica Spengler CC BY

Onion Soup: Bonus Recipe

This recipe is so simple and
so good. This is perfect with Caesar Salad on New Year’s Eve!

2 Whole Three Inch Onions,
Peeled and Thinly Sliced

1 Stick Butter

2 14.5 Ounce Cans Swanson
Beef Broth (Other Fancy Brands do not Work)

Garlic and Onion Flavored
Croutons

Mozzarella Cheese Slices, Cut
in Strips (I Use Kraft)

Sauté onions in butter on low
heat for about ten minutes until tender, but not brown. Add beef broth and
simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour soup in four oven-proof soup
bowls. Top with croutons and then top with several strips of mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until
cheese is melted. Serve with Caesar Salad for a Happy New Year!